UCL Centre for Sustainable Business Co-Director and Professor Paolo Taticchi has authored a new case study examining how Borgo Egnazia — a high-end hospitality destination in Puglia, Italy — launched its first structured sustainability programme in 2024 with the ambition to become a national leader in sustainable hospitality.
Developed with strategic guidance from sustainability consultancy Tecno International, the initiative resulted in a comprehensive roadmap of 35 initiatives, a formal governance structure, and the property’s first carbon footprint assessment, revealing key emissions hotspots and driving targeted decarbonisation measures.
Founded in 2010, Borgo Egnazia has built its reputation on a deeply local, experience-led model known as “Nowhere Else”, combining architectural homage to Apulian villages with cultural immersion, regenerative gastronomy, and a strong commitment to community engagement. The case study explores how this place-based model, while central to the property’s identity and competitive positioning, created unique challenges when the parent company, Egnazia Ospitalità Italiana, sought to scale the approach across a diverse portfolio of properties with differing geographies, operational structures, and guest expectations.
Professor Taticchi evaluates the tensions between authenticity and scalability, and between integrating sustainability into operations while safeguarding brand identity in the high-end segment. He also highlights the critical role of governance, stakeholder alignment and strategic communication in embedding sustainability into a brand that prioritises understated refinement.
In 2025, Borgo Egnazia’s sustainability journey entered a new phase as the group explored adapting its model to alpine retreats, historic coastal villas and other destinations in its portfolio. Taticchi argues that success in sustainable hospitality relies on more than environmental targets: it depends on leadership vision, local relevance and the ability to engage diverse stakeholders without diluting the brand’s core essence.
